Cher (24 page)

Their unique way of dressing, as well as musical appearances on mainstream television shows like
The Hollywood Palace
and a guest-starring gig on
The Man from U.N.C.L.E
., made Sonny & Cher instantly recognizable stars. (
AP/Wide World Photos
)

Sonny & Cher were so popular in the mid-1960s, an attempt at movie stardom was inevitable. The film
Good Times
gave them the showcase to act out all of their cinematic fantasies. (
AP/Wide World Photos
)

In the “Western fantasy” segment of
Good Times
, Sonny played a hippie-like sheriff, and Cher was a dancehall singer in a saloon. (
Anchor Bay Films/MJB Photo Archives
)

In
Good Times
the duo also portrayed a hippie-like Tarzan and Jane—known as “Jungle Morry” and “Zora.” (
Anchor Bay Films/MJB Photo Archives
)

In the 1970s, the duo went from rock stars to television stars. Cher as her outlandish gum-chewing “Laverne” character, flanked by John Davidson and Sonny. (
AP/Wide World Photos
)

In addition to their hit television show in the early 1970s, Sonny & Cher were also a huge Las Vegas headline act. (
AP/Wide World Photos
)

Cher as Mother Goose on
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
. (
AP/Wide World Photos
)

The duo’s weekly television program and 1970s hits, including “All I Ever Need Is You,” gave the public the illusion that they had an ideal marriage. In real life, Sonny had a live-in girlfriend, and Cher was dating one of the duo’s band members, David Paich. (
AP/Wide World Photos
)

Cher’s solo recording career was hotter than ever as she racked up three Number 1 singles: “Gypsies, Tramps, & Thieves,” “Half Breed,” and “Dark Lady.” In her “Half Breed” phase, Cher brought Native American fashion to a new height. (
MCA Records/MJB Photo Archives
)

Cher in a swashbuckling outfit to promote her single “Pirate.” (
Harry Langdon/Warner Brothers Records/MJB Photo Archives
)

Thanks to her model-thin body and the help of master costume designer Bob Mackie, Cher took television costuming to outrageous new heights. (
MJB Photo Archives
)

Elton John, Cher, Flip Wilson, and Bette Midler on the debut one-hour special episode of TV’s
The Cher Show
in 1975. (
AP/Wide World Photos
)